THE 


SOLECISMS  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE 


T.    COWDEN    LAUGHLIN 


A    DISSERTATION 

PRESENTED    TO    THE    FACULTY    OF    PRINCETON   UNIVERSITY 

FOR   THE    DEGREE   OF   DOCTOR   OF   PHILOSOPHY 

1902 


PRINCETON,    N.    J. 
C.   6.   ROBINSON   &  CO.,  TJNIVKRSITT  PRINTERS 


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THE 


SOLECISMS  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE 


T.   COWDEN   LAUGHLIN 


A    DISSERTATION 

PRESENTED    TO    THE    FACULTY    OF    PRINCETON    UNIVERSITY 

FOR   THE   DEGREE   OF   DOCTOR   OF   PHILOSOPHY 

1902 


PRINCETON,    N.    J. 
C.  6.   ROBINSON   &  CO.,  UNIVERSITY  PRINTERS 


THE  SOLECISMS  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

The  leading  works  consulted  in  the  preparation  of  this  disserta- 
tion are  the  following : 

Blass,  "  Grammatik  des  neutestamentlichen  Griechisch."     Gottingen,  1806. 
Botjsset,  "  Die  Offenbarung  Johannis."     5  Aufl.  Gottingen,  1896. 
Burton,  "  Syntax  of  the  Moods  and  Tenses  in  New  Testament  Greek."     Chi- 
cago, 1893. 
Cheyne  &  Black,  "  Encyclopaedia  Biblica."     New  York,  1899-1903. 
Ebrard,  "  Das  Evangelium  Johannis."     Ziiruch,  1845. 
Ebrard,   "  Wissenschaftliche  Kritik  der  evangelischen  Geschichte."      Dritte 

Aufl.  Frankfurt  a.  M.,  1868. 
Eusebius,  "  Ecclesiasticae  Historiae  " — Migne,  "  Patrologia  6?-aeca." 
Ewald,  "  Commentarius  in  Apocalypsin    Johannis  Exegeticus  et  Criticus." 

Lipsiae,  1828. 
Ewald,    "Grammatik  der  hebriiischen  Sprache   des   A.   T."     Zweite  Aufl. 

Leipzig,  1835. 
Ewald,    "Die  Johanneischen  Schriften  iibersetz  und  erkliirt."     Gottingen, 

1861-1862. 
Green,  "A  Grammar  of  the  Hebrew  Language."     New  York,  1889. 
Guillemard,  "  Hebraisms  in  the  Greek  Testament."     Cambridge,  1879. 
Harnack,  Article  on  Word  "  Revelation  "  in  "  Encycl.  Brit.,"  Vol.  XX. 
Hastings,  "  Dictionary  of  the  Bible."     New  York,  1898-1902. 
Hatch,  "  Essays  in  Biblical  Greek."     Oxford,  1889. 
Lightfoot,    "St.    Paul's  Epistle    to    the    Galatians."       London   and    New 

York,  1900. 
LtiCKE,  "  Versuch  einer  VolUtandigen  Einleitung  in  die  Offenbarung  Johannis 

und  in  die  gesammte  apokal)  ptische  Litteratur. "     Bonn,  1852. 
Milligan,  "  Discussions  on  the  Apocalypse."     London,  1893. 
Moulton  &  Geden,  "A  Concordance  to  the  Greek  Testament."     2d  Edition, 

New  York,  1900. 
Salmon,  "A  Historical  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  the  Books  of  the  New 

Testament."     9th  Edition,  London,  1899. 
Spitta,  "  Die  Offenbarung  des  Johannes."     Hallo,  1889. 

Swbte,  "An  Introduction  to  the  Old  Testament  in  Greek."    Cambridge,  1900. 
Swete,  "The  Old  Testament  in  Greek  according  to  the  Septuagint."     3  vols. 

Cambridge,  1887-1894. 
Thayer,  "Greek-English  Lexicon  of  the  New  Testament."  New  York,  1887. 
Tischendorf,  "  Novum  Testamentum  Graece."     Lipsiae,  1872. 
Toy,  "  Quotations  in  the  New  Testament."     New  York,  1884. 
Viteau,  "Etude  sur  le  Grec  du  Nouveau  Testament."     Paris,  1893-6. 
"Westcott,  "The  Gospel  According  to  St.  John."     London,  1894. 
Westcott  &  Hort,  "The  New  Testament  in  the  Original  Greek."     London 

and  Cambridge,  1885.    (The  references  in  this  dissertation  are  to  this  text.) 
Winer,    "A   Grammar  of  the   Idiom   of  the   New    Testament."      Thayer's 

Edition,  Andover,  1874. 


The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse. 


THE  SOLECISMS  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 


The  Greek  of  the  Apocalypse  is  marked  by  a  series  of  most 
striking  peculiarities  which,  as  has  long  been  recognized,  are  due 
in  large  part  to  the  influence  of  the  Hebrew  idiom.  They  appear 
in  passages  imitating  the  style  of  the  Hebrew  Prophets x  (with 
whose  writings  the  Apocalyptist  was  so  familiar 2)  or  in  sentences 
or  phrases  transferred  directly  from  the  Hebrew  of  the  Old 
Testament  or  from  its  Greek  translation — the  LXX.a  The  fol- 
lowing pages  present  the  evidence  of  this  Hebrew  influence  in 
sufficient  volume  and  with  sufficient  discussion  of  detail  to  make, 
it  is  hoped,  a  complete  demonstration.4  The  solecisms  will  be 
considered  under  three  heads. 

1  Ebrard,  in  speaking  of  the  more  glaring  solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse,  says, 
that  "  dieseiben  nicht  unwillkiihrlich,  sondern  in  halbabsichtlicher  Nachahmung 
des  Colorits  der  a.  t.  Sprache  entstanden  sind.  Der  Autor  der  Apokalypse  wollte 
offenbar  hebraisirend  schreiben  ;  die  Sprache  und  der  Stil  der  a.  t.  I'ropheten  war 
es,  die  ihm  allein  in  ihrer  grossurtigen  Sehlichtheit  genitgte,  das  Ungeheure  wieder- 
zugeben,  was  er  geschaut  hat."  ("  Wissensehaftliche  Kritik  der  cvangelischen 
Geschichte."     Dritte  Aufl.  Frankfurt  a.  M.  1868,  S.  1106.) 

2  Ewald,  "  Die  Jolmnnei.-chen  Schriften."     Bd.  II.,  S.  52. 

3  The  LXX  translation  is  more  Hebraic  than  the  N.  T.  and  does  not  represent 
a  type  of  Greek  established  and  in  actual  currency  at  the  time  it  was  made,  but  "  its 
distinctive  character  is  due  rather  to  the  translators'  exaggerated  deference  to  the 
Hebrew  sacred  text  and  their  mechanical  reproduction  of  it."  (Thayer  on  "  Lan- 
guage of  the  New  Testament"  in  Hasting's  "  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,"  Vol.  Ill, 
p.  40.)  It  is  not  surprising,  then,  that  solecisms  are  found  in  the  LXX  nor  in  the 
writings  of  those  who  quoted  or  made  use  of  that  translation. 

4  There  are  no  less  than  460  O.  T.  passages  made  use  of  in  the  Apocalypse. 
Westcott  and  Hort  give  a  list  of  the-e  in  their  "  N.  T.  Greek,"  pp.  612  ft',  and 
under  the  heading  "  Quotations  from  the  O.  T."  ;  but  the  Apocalypse  contains  no 
quotations  proper,  although  a  great  part  of  its  language  is  taken  from  the  O.  T. 
(Toy,  "Quotations  in  the  N.  T.,"  p.  253.  Cp.  Swete,  "An  Introduction  to  the 
O.  T.  in  Greek,"  pp.  392  and  404  ) 


The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse.  5 

I. 

PECULIAR  WORDS.1 

1.  ISov.-  It  is  often  followed  by  a  Nominative  without  verb. 

The  LXX  of  the  Old  Testament  prophecies  invariably 
uses  ISov  (1)  as  a  translation  of  the  Hebrew  word  H^H  (behold, 
lo).  Thus,  for  example,  in  such  passages  as  Gen.  12:19  HJil 
™|nE^>  the  LXX.  of  which  is  /cat  vvv  ISov  tj  <yvvq  aov  (ivavriov 
o-ov).  Gen.^16  :  6  -jnriDP  T\T\  "HEr^N  D^ON,  the  LXX  of 
which  is  elirev  Se  'Afipap,  7rpb<;  Idpav  'ISov  f)  TraiSCaKr)  aov 
(ivamiov  aov).  Gen.  18:9  7H&Q  H3TI  LXX  o  Se  cnrotcpiBek 
(Tnrev  'ISov  iv  -rrj  aKrjvrj.  Gen.  19:2  ^IfcOO  H3H  1Q&01 
LXX  is  /cat  €t7rei'  'I  Sou,  /cvpioi,  ifacXivare  7t/jo?  toz;  ot/cov,  &c. 
Ps.  134:1  ni»T"p«  "0*0  rOn  ^XX  'ISov  ^  ev\o7etTe  to* 
Kvpiov.  (2)  'I  So  u  is  the  LXX  translation  also  of  the  Hebrew  word 
TIN  (behold),  which  is  from  the  Chaldaic,  in  such  passages  as 
Dan.  7:5,  6,  7  and  13.  It  is  the  translation  (3)  of  the  Hebrew 
'PN  (behold),  which  is  also  from  the  Chaldaic,  in  Dan.  2:31, 
for  example.  The  LXX  translation  of  each  of  these  three  words 
01^1,  HN  and  I^N)  is  always  ISov. 

(a)  Many  passages  in  the  Apocalypse  contain  ISov  direct 
from  the  LXX  as,  for  example  :  Rev.  1 :  7  ISov  'ipx^ai  fxera  twv 
v€(f>e\(ov.  This  follows  Dan.  (LXX)  7:13  /cat  ISoi)  eVt  rcav 
ve<pe\a>v,  which  follows  the  Aramaic  original  (Toy)  and  the  Heb. 
WfiW  *WDy  Vm  Rev.  14:14  koI  elSov,  teal  ISov 
(vecpeXr)  \evicr))  icai  eirl  rrjv  v€<j>eXr]v  Kadrjpevov  opoiov  vlbv  avdpcoTrov. 
This  follows  the  LXX  of  Dan.  7:  13  /cat  ISoi)  eVt  twv  ve<pe\<ov 
tov  ovpavov  w?  vlbs  avdpdnrov,  the  Hebrew  of  which  is 

m*  -dd  mem  way  rm 

1  These  can  scarcely  be  called  solecisms  in  strictest  sense,  yet  they  are  peculiar 
especially  to  the  Apocalypse,  whose  author  quotes  them  from  the  LXX. 

2  Ebrard,  in  refuting  Hitzig,  who  regards  the  Gospel  of  Mark  and  the  Apoca- 
lypse as  written  by  the  same  author,  speaks  of  Idov  in  the  Apocalypse  as  "  Nachah- 

mung  des  Prophetenstiles wer  mochte  da  das  oftmalige  t'Soi/  c.  ptc.  fur  ein 

unwillkuhrliches,  ziifalliges  halten  "  ?     ("  Evangelium  Johannis,"  S.  166.) 


6  The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse. 

and  the  LXX  of  Dan.  10:16  Kal  18  ov  <w?  6/AoiWt<?  %etpo<? 
avdpcoTTov,  the  Hebrew  of  which  is  QHN  *>3S  HID^D  H^iT1 
(Cp.  also  Rev.  21 :  3  18  ov  -q  o-Krjvrj  rod  deov  which  follows  Ezek. 

37:  57).     Rev.  12  :  3  Kal  18  ov  8pd/c(ov e%<oz/  /ce(/>a\,a?   eirra 

Kal  Kepara  8e/ca,  which  follows  direct  the  Hebrew  ^fr$  of  Dan. 

7  :  7  and  l8ov  of  the  LXX  of  Dan.  7  :  8. 

(b)  Many  other  passages  in  the  Apocalypse  are  imitations  of 
the  LXX  usage.    Rev.  6 :  2,  5  and  8  Kal  el8ov,  Kal  18 ov  t7T7ro<? 

Xev/cos ; ittttos  Trvppos Kal  18 ov  Xinros  yueXa? 

Kal  l8ov  i7r7ro?  ^X&)/305,  which  are  from  the  LXX  of  Zech.  1 :  8 
Kal  18 ov  avrjp  eVt/Se^/cco?  iirl  lttttov  irvppov  &c,  to  which  pas- 
sages the  Apocalyptist  here  refers.1 

2.  UavTOKparcop.2  The  influence  of  the  LXX  explains 
the  use  of  this  word.  It  is  found  in  the  following  Apocalyptic 
passages  .  Rev.  1 :  8  Kvpios  6  0eb$,  (6  &v  Kal  6  rjv  Kal  ip^6p,€vo<;), 
6  TravTOKpdreop .  Rev.  4  .  8  ayios  ayios  ayios  Kvpios,  6  Oeb? 
6  iravTKpdrwp  (6  rjv  Kal  6  cbv  Kal  6  tpypiievos;).  Rev.  11:17 
Kvpie,  6  deos,  6  TravTOKparap  (6  wv  Kal  6  rjv).  Rev.  15:3 
(M.e<yd\a  Kal  davfiaara  ra  epya  crov),  Kvpie,  6  Be 6$,  6  rravro- 
Kpdrwp.  Rev.  16:7  {vaC)  Kvpie,  6  0eo'<?,  6  iravroKpaTdip. 
Rev.  16:14  (rjfiepas  tt}?  fie<yd\r)$)  rov  Oeov  tr avroK pdrco p. 
Rev.  19:6  ' AWrjXovid,  on  ifiao-cXevaev  Kvpio<i^  6  #ed?,  6  irav- 
roKpdrwp.  Rev.  19  :  15  T779  6pyr)<;  rov  Oeov  rov  iravTOKpd- 
to/005.  Rev.  21:  22  (jcal  vabv  ovk  el8ov  iv  avry)  6  yap  /ev/mo?,  6 
#eo'?,  6  iravTOKpdrwp  vao<;  avrfjs  Io-tLv.  Cp.,  also,  2  Cor.  6  :  18. 

In  every  one  of  the  passages  just  specified,  the  expression 
6  Kvpios,  6  #eo's,  6  iravroKpdrtop  is  direct  from  the  LXX  of 


1  In  other  books  of  the  New  Testament,  and  especially  in  the  Gospels,  id 06  is 
found  in  quotations  from  the  LXX.  of  the  Old  Testament  as,  Matt.  1  :  23  ISoii  v 
irapdivos  iv  yacrrpl  ££«  Kal  r^erai  vlbv,  Kal  Ka\t<rov<riv  rb  6vop.a  avrov  'E/j.p.avovrj\.  This  is 
the  LXX  from  Isaiah  7:14  (Cp.  Matt.  12:18;  21:5;  Matt.  11:10  l5oi>  iyu 
d7i-ocrT<?X\w  rbv  S.yye\6v  /xov,  &c,  which  is  the  LXX  for  Mai.  8  :  1.  Cp.  Mk.  1:2; 
Lk.  7  :  27  ;  Jno.  12  :  15  ;  Rom.  9  :  33  ;  Heb.  2  :  13  ;  Heb.  8:8;  Heb.  10  :  7,  9  : 
1  Pet.  2  :  6.) 

2  IlavTOKp&Twp  is  not  found  in  John's  Gospel  and  only  once  elsewhere  in  the 
New  Testament,  i.  e.,  2  Cor.  6  :  18,  where  it  occurs  in  a  quotation  from  the  LXX. 


The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse.  7 

Amos  4  :  13  Kvpios  6  0ed<?,  6  TravTOKpdrwp  (ovopa  avra)),  which,  in 
turn,  is  the  translation  of  the  Hebrew  of  the  same  passage,  i.  e., 
Amos  4:  13  flotf)  DHOm!?*  DIPT- 

3.  In  the  Apocalypse,  we  always  find  the  word  "  Jerusalem  " 
written  'lepovcraXr/p,  (indeclinable),  but  in  the  Gospel  (and 
Acts,  &c,  where  quoted)  it  invariably  has  the  form  'lepocroXv  p.a. 
(Cp.  Thayer's  Winer,  p.  68.)  But  this  difference  is  easily  ac- 
counted for  when  we  note  that  the  writing  of  the  word  in  the 
Apocalypse  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  LXX  (from  the  Hebrew 
D^EH^T)  from  which  the  Apocalyptist  so  often  quotes.  The 
Apocalyptic  passages  in  which  tbe  word  appears  and  the  LXX. 
passages  from  which  they  are  quoted  follow:  Rev.  21 :  2  Kal  rrjv 
ttoXiv  tt]v  dyiav  'I epovcaXr)  p  Kaivrjv  elSov.  This  is  quoted  from 
Isa.  52:1  Kal  crv  evSvaai  rrjv  Bogav  crov,  'lepovcraXrj p,,  7ro\i?  17 
dyia.  Rev.  21  :  10  Kal  eSeifjev  p,oi  ttjv  ttoXiv  tt)v  dyiav  'lepovcra- 
A.77/X,  &c,  which  follows  the  LXX  of  Isa.  52  :  1  Kal  crv  evBvcrai  rr)v 
Sogav  crov,  'Ie pova aXr] p  ,  ttoXis  r)  ciyia.      Rev.  3:  12   Kal  ypd\}r(o 

to  ovopa  t?}?  7ro'Xe&)9  rod  deov  pov,  rf)<;  Kaivrjs  'lepova  aXrj  p,1 

Cp.  Ezek.  48:35.2  Thus  we  have: — Jno.  1:19  01  'lovSaloi  eg 
'lepocroXv pcov.  Jno.  2:13  Kal  avefir)  eh  'lepocroXvpa  6 
'Irjcrovs.  Jno.  2:23  'H?  8e  r)v  iv  rots  'lepocroXvpois .  Jno. 
4:  20  Kal  vpetf  Xeyere  oti  iv  'lepocroXv p,ois  iarlv  6  T07ro?.  All 
the  other  instances  in  John's  Gospel  show  the  declinable 
'lepocroXvpa.  If  John  wrote  the  Apocalypse,  direct  and  conscious 
use  of  the  LXX  form  is  the  only  possible  explanation  of  the  vari- 
ation of  this  word. 

4.  'AXXrjXovid.  In  Rev.  19:1.  3,  4  and  6  we  have  the 
word  'AXXrjXovid.  This  word  is  taken  from  the  LXX  of  Pss. 
106:1;  146:1;  147:1;  148:1;  149:1;  150:1  and  6. 
'AXXrjXovtd  is  the  Greek  translation  of  the  Hebrew  n*1""!/?!"!' 

1  For  examples  of'Iepovo-aX-fi/x  in  the  LXX,  cp.  Zech.  3:2;  9:9;  Josh.  10:  1  ; 
Ezek.  1:2;  2:8;  2  Chron.  12  :  2,  9,  13  ;  19 :  1,  4,  8 ;  20  :  18,  27,  28,  31  ;  21  :  5  ; 
13  :  20  ;  22  :  1,  2  ;  23  :  2  et  al. 

2  In  view  of  the  possible  common  authorship  of  the  Apocalypse  and  John's 
Gospel,  it  may  he  noted  that  in  the  Gospel  the  word  is  always  written  in  its  declin- 
able form  'Iepo(r6Xi//xa. 


8  The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse. 

5.  In  Rev.  12  :  5  we  have  koi  eTifeev  vlov,  ap<rev,  o?  fieWei 
TTOi/xatveiv  iravra  tcl  e6vq.  Cp.  Isa.  66  :  7.  Here  viov  is  mascu- 
line and  apo-ev  is  neuter.  The  word  for  "male"  is  either 
6  apo-qv  (masc.)  or  to  apaev  (neut.)  (Cp.  Thayer's  Greek 
Lex.)  In  this  verse,  the  writer  uses  the  neuter  form  while  in  vs. 
13  of  the  same  chapter  he  employed  the  masc.  (i.  e.,  iSicogev  ttjv 
yvval/ca  i]Ti<i  erucev  tov  apo-eva).  Since  he  did  not  use  the 
neuter  form  in  both  sentences,  we  should  rather  expect  the  mas- 
culine in  the  first  instance  in  connection  with  the  masc.  viov,  of 
which  it  is  an  appositive  (although  an  appositive  need  only  agree 
in  case).  But  as  Ewald  suggests,  "vlov,  apo~ev,"  (i.  e.,  the 
masc.  and  the  neut.  together)  is  "bloss  Nachahmung  von 
IDT  X2  em  Sohn  ein  mannliches."  ("  Die  Joh.  Schriften."  Bd.  II. 
S.  53).* 

II. 
PECULIAR  PHRASES. 

1.  In  Rev.  15:5,  (Cp.  Acts  7 :  44),  occurs  the  phrase  "  t^? 
o-K7}vrj<i  tov  /jbaprvpiov"  or  more  fully,  "6  rao?  t?}?  o-Krjvrj^  tov 
fiaprvptov  iv  to)  ovpavw."  This  is  a  very  striking  statement,  but 
it  is  simply  the  Greek  translation  of  *iyiQ~7nN  in  such  passages 
as  Ex,  40  :  34,  the  Hebrew  of  which  is  ^fiR-fiR  pjJPI  DD^l 
"1JHD ;  the  LXX  for  this  is,  /ecu  iKakvyfrev  rj  ve<pe\r)  tt)V  o-kwvtjv 
tov  ftaprvpCov  and  Rev.  15:5  quotes  it.  Cp.,  also,  Lev.  24 :  3 
(LXX)  iv  T7j  o~K7)vrj  rov  p,apTvp(ov;  Num.  (LXX)  17:7  and  8 
iv  Tri  o-ferjvrj  tov  papTvpiov  ;  Ex.  (LXX)  27  :  21  is  iv  ttj  o-/cr)vf)  tov 
fxapTvptov ;  Ex.  40  :  22  ;  40  :  24  and  Num.  17  :  49. 

It  is  also  the  LXX  translation  of  miyiVjDEPD  in  sucn 
passages  as  Num.  1:  50  (LXX)  e7rt  Tr)v  cr/cr]VT)v  tov  fiapTv- 
piov.  Num.  1:53  (LXX)  kvk\g>  tyj<;  crKTjvrj^  tov  papTV- 
piov.     Num.  10 :  11    (LXX)    f)    ve<f>€\r]    curb    t?)?    crtcvvr]*;   tov 

*  [Note. — Another  interesting  word  is  x«^'«>M/3a»'o"  (Rev.  1  :  15  and  2 :  18).  It 
is  a  compound  word  coined  by  the  author,  who  here  follows  the  Hebrew  of  Dan. 
10  :  6.  (Cp.  Toy,  '■  Quotations  in  the  N.  T.,  p.  254.)  Notice,  also,  the  compound 
words  irora/xo(p6p7]Tos  (Rev.  12  :  15)  and  ixeuovpavrj^a  (Rev.  8  :  13  ;   14  :  6  ;   19  :  17)]. 


The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse.  9 

fiaprv p  lov.  Ex.  38:21  (LXX)  f)  avvTa^is  t^9  atcrjvrj?  rod 
fiaprv p  lov. 

It  is  further  the  LXX  translation  of  rYnjJPl    /{"IK  in  Num. 

18  :  2  (LXX)  cnrevavTi  rrjs  GK7)vv)<i  tov  fiaprvp  lov.  2  Chron. 
24  :  6  (LXX)  ek  ttj  v  a  ktj  vrjv  tov  fiaprv  p  Cov. 

2.  Strings  of  Genitives.  Strings  of  genitives  hanging  on  one 
noun  or  on  one  another  are  frequent  in  the  Apocalypse.      Rev. 

19  :  15  ttjv  Xrjvbv  rov  olvov  tov  6vfiov  t?}?  dpyrjs  tov  0eov  tov  ttclvto- 
KpaTepos.  Rev.  14  :  10  ical  ai/Tos  irteTaL  etc  tov  olvov  tov  Ovfiov  tov 
Oeov  tov ev  to>  TroTrjpia)  tyjs  0/37779  clvtov.     Rev.   16  :  19  to 

7T0T7]pi0V  TOV  olvov  TOV  OvfJiOV  Tt}?  Opyfj?  CLVTOV.       ReV.    14  ."  8   7}  €IC   TOV 

olvov  tov  Ov/xov  tt)9  iropvelas.  Rev.  18  :  3  oti  iic  tov  olvov  tov 
dvpiov  T?}?  iropveias  ai/r?)?,  &c.  (Cp.,  also,  Rev.  22:  19  anrb  twv 
Xoycov  tov  /3i/3\lov  t/}?  irpo^Tela^  TavTT]?.      Cp.  Rev.  21 :  6.) 

The  passages  above  are  not  only  imitations  of  the  LXX,  but 
are  all  more  or  less  directly  quoted  from  the  LXX  of  Jer.  25  :  15 
which  is,  to  TTOTrjpiov  tov  olvov  tov  a/cpd.Too-  tovtov.    Cp.  Isa.  51 :  17. 

3.  Repetition  of  Prepositions  before  a  series  of  nouns,  as  in 
Rev.  16  :  13  ical  elSov  i/c  tov  o-Top,aTO<i  tov  8pdfcovTO<i  ical  i  k  tov 
<7T0/iaT0?  tov  Orjplov  ical  i/c  tov  o-To'/iaro?  tov  ■yjrevSoTrpocp'qTOV.  Rev. 
21 :  13  airb  avaToXrfi  irvkoives  Tpet?,  ical  airb  /3opoa  irvkSive?  Tpet?, 
/ecu  a  7ro  votov  Trv\oive<i  Tpet9,  ical  airb  hvap,o)v  irvXoivei  Tpels.  Rev. 
17:6  ical  elSov  ttjv  yvvaitca  /xeOvovaav  i  k  tov  ai/JLaTO<;  twv  dylcov 
ical  €K  tov  aifiaTos  tcov  p,apTvpo)v  'Itjctov.  (Cp.  Rev.  9  :  21.)  Rev. 
7  :  1  tva  fxr)  Trverj  ave/AOS  i  ir  I  t?}?  777?  p.r\Te  i  ir  I  tt)?  da\daari<;  firJTe 
eirl  irav  SeSpov.  Rev.  3  :  5  ical  6/j,o\o<yrjo-co  to ovofxa  avTov  i v d> ir  1 0  v 
tov  TraTpos  /xov  ical  ivwirtov  TOiv  a<y<ye\a)v  avTov.  Rev.  7:9 
£crTC0Tr)<;  iva>7rLov  tov  dpovov  ical  iv our  lov  tov  apviov.  (Cp. 
4  :  5  and  4 :  10,  &c.)  Here  is  displayed  not  only  a  repetition  of 
prepositions,  but,  in  the  last  two  examples,  an  unusual  preposition.1 

1  The  preposition  ev&wiov  is  very  common  in  the  LXX  and  is  the  Greek 
translation  of  the  Hebrew  words  T^a  and  ^aS.  Thus,  for  example,  the  word 
Ivdmov  in  Rev.  3:9  occurs  in  the  LXX  of  Isa.  66:23  i.  e.,  ?£ei  vaja  <rap£  tov 
vpo<TKvvT)o-ai  evibwiov  4/j.ov  ev'IepovadXrffji,  from  which  it  is  quoted,  ev&iriov  being  the 
LXX  of  JsjS  from  the  phrase  Hirr  1DK  '  J31?  mnwn1?  IBO"1?:)  813"  of  Isa.  66  :  23. 
Cp.  Isa.  49:  23;  60  :  14.)  (Op.  ivuir  10  v  in  Rev.  15  :  4,  which  is  quoted  from  Ps. 
86  :  9).  Wherever  this  word  occurs  in  the  Apocalypse  (and  it  occurs  thirty-one 
times)  it  is,  the  LXX  translation  direct,  or  in  imitation  of  the  Hebrew  word  ""JD/. 


10  The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse. 

This  repetition  of  prepositions  is  in  imitation  of  the  LXX  usage 
which  shows  it  constantly.  Note,  for  example,  Zech.  6  :  10  Aa/3e 
to,  ere  tt)s  alxpakmaias  irapa  tmv  ctpyovTcov  real  irapa  t5>v  xpt)- 
(Ti/xtov  avTrjs  real  irapa  t<ov  eireyvootcoTcov  avrrjv.  Zech.  1  :  4 
'Kiroarpe-^rare  ctirb  twv  oScov  v/juoov  t&v  irovqpSiV  ical  air  o  rwv 
iirtTrjSevfxaTCov  vp,a>v  tcov  irovrjpwv.  Zech.  8  :  7  rd8e  Xeyet  tcvptos 
iravTOtcpaToop  'ISou  iyco  er(b%oo  tov  Xaov  fxov  ctirb  <yr)s  avardXoiv  teat 
ctirb  yr)s  8va/xa>v.  (Cp.  Isa.  43  :  5.)  Zech.  1 :  6  rcaO&s  TrapaTerarcTat 
rcvptos  rravTOfcpaTwp  tov  irotrjcrat  r/fxayv  Kara  ra?  oSovs  rjfjtwv  teat 
Kara  ra  eirtTrjSev^aTa  r)p,SiV. 

4.  Repetition  of  Other  Words.  Not  only  are  prepositions  re- 
peated in  the  Apocalypse,  but  other  words  as  well.  The  follow- 
ing examples  may  be  given:     Rev.   19:18  Xva  <f>d<yr)Te  era  pic  as 

fiacrtXeoov  ical  a  dp  tc  as  xtXtdpxcav  real  a- dp  k  as /cal  &  a  pre  as 

real  era  pre  as.     (Cp.   Ezek.   39:  17,  18.)     Rev.   16:13  ical 

elSov  etc  tov  ctto  fiaros ical  iic   a  to  fiaros ical  e/c 

tov  ctto /jtaTOS.       Rev.    8:12    teal   eirXrjyr)  to  t ptT ov to 

T  p  LTOV TO  T  p  IT  OV TO    T  p  IT  OV TO  TpiTOV 

to  TpiTov.    (Cp.  Rev.  8  :  9.)     Rev.  18 :  2  /cat ical 

ical real.       Rev.    14:1    e%ovcrai    to  ovo/Jta    avTOv 

ical  to  6vop,a  tov  iraTpbs  avTOv. 

This  recurrence  of  special  words  is  "  preeminently  character- 
istic of  Oriental  expression  "  (Thayer's  Winer,  p.  606).  In  the 
Apocalyptic  passages  just  quoted,  it  is  due  to  the  influence  of  the 
LXX  which  again  reproduces  the  Hebrew  original.  Cp.  Zech. 
6  :  14  6  Be  crTecpavos  ecrrat  t  0  Is  virojxevovatv  ical  tols  XPV0'^0^  avTrjs 
real  to  Is  iireyvwrcocrtv.  (Cp.  Zech.  6  :  10.)  Zech.  8  :  12  r)  dfiireXos 
8 (beret  tov  tcapirbv  avTrjs,  ical  rj  yrj  8  (beret  to  yevr]ixaTa  avTrjs,  rcai 
6  ovpavbs  B  (beret  ttjv  Spocrov  avTov.  Zech.  8:19  Xeyet  rcvptos 
iravTorcpaToop  vrjcrTeia  r)  TeTpas  real  vrjaTeta  1)  irefxirTt)  real 
vrjo-Teia   r)  e/386/jbr)  teal  vrj  erreta  r)  Be/carr)  eerovTat  tw  ottcw  'lovSa. 

5.  Another  anomalous  phrase  is  found  in  Rev.  12  :  14  tcatpbv 
real  rcatpovs  real  r/ptov  tcatpov.      Liicke l  speaks  of  this  phrase   as 

1  "Einleitung  in  die  Offenbarung  des  Johanes,"  Bd.  II,  S.  455.     (Cp.  Toy, 
'Quotations  in  N.  T.,"  p.  2  64.) 


The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse.  11 

"  vollig  eigenthiinilieh  und  anomalisch.  Hier  ist  tcaipovs  so  viel  als 
zwei  Zeitraume,  Jahre,  aber  dies  ist  der  technische  apokalyptische 
Sprackgebrauch  aus  Daniel  7 :  25 ;  12 :  7  genommen,  wo  die 
LXX  ]"'^"iy  durch  /ecu/aou?  ubersetzt." 


m. 

PECULIAR   CONSTRUCTIONS. 

1.  In  Rev.  2  :  14  occurs  the  expression  o?  iScSaa/cev  tu>  fidkdic 
in  which  the  word  "  teach  "  is  followed  by  a  Dative  of  person  in 
imitation  of  the  Hebrew  ?  IE*?-  (Cp.  Thayer's  Lexicon  on  the 
word  SiMcr/ccD ;  also  Job  21 :  22,  L  e.,  njH  1D^  ^?&6n  and 
Ewald,  "gr.  Hebr.,"  p.  588.) 

2.  The  Preposition  airb  with  the  Nominative.  Rev.  1  :  4  airb  6 
wv  Kal  6  r)v  Kal  6  epxopevos.  This  solecism  is  striking  in  the 
highest  degree.1  Some  authors  have  tried  to  soften  the  expres- 
sion by  inserting  the  article  tov  after  airo.  But  this  would  not 
explain  the  anomaly  here,  "  quod  scriptor  omnino  praepositiones 
cum  nominativo  jungere  soleat."2  The  phrase  6  gov  ical  6  tjv  Kal 
ipxonevevos5    is    the    Greek    equivalent    for   the    Hebrew    name 

1  Guillemard  speaks  of  this  as  "an  anomalous  construction  clearly  traceable  to 
absence  of  inflexion  in  Hebrew  nouns  which  made  such  a  violation  of  grammar  less 
startling  to  a  Jew  writing  Greek."     ("  Hebraisms  in  the  Greek  Testament,  p.  116.) 

2  Ewald,  "  Com.  in  Apoc,"  p.  46. 

3  Ebrard  regards  this  phrase  as  intentional  on  the  part  of  the  writer,  saying  of 
it,  "  die  absichtliche  Uehandlung  der  ganzen  Formel  6  uv  Kal  6  rjv  /ecu  6  ipx^evos  als 
unveranderlichen  nom.  propr.  wo  das  erste  6  sowie  das  zweite  und  dritte  als  integ- 
rirender  Theil  des  Namens  betrachtet  wird,  liegt  hier  gar  zu  klar  am  Tage  " 
("Evangelium  Johannis,"  S.  165-166)  and  Harnack,  in  speaking  of  the  same 
phrase,  says,  "the  gross  violations  of  Greek  grammar  are  not  to  be  explained  from 
ignorance."*     ("Encycl.  Brit."  on  word  "  Kevelation.") 

*  The  proper  construction  of  an-6  with  the  Genitive  occurs  in  the  same  verse  (i.  e.,  1 : 4), 
arrb  riv  Ittto  -nvtvuaTiav,  proving  that  the  author  did  not  use  anb  with  the  Nominative 
through  ignorance. 


12  The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse. 

Jehovah.  Lucke  regards  it  "  als  ein  Begriff  anzusehen,  wodurch 
nach  Eabbinscher  Deutung  des  JSTamens  Jehova  der  ewige  Gott 
bezeichnet  wird."1  'O  wv  is  directly  quoted  from  the  LXX  of 
Ex.  3  :  14  Kal  elirev  6  #eo?  777305  M(ov(xr)v  Xeycoy  'E7W  elfu  6  a>v. 
Kal  elirev  Ovieos  ipels  iocs  viols  'lo-parjX  6  &>  v  aireaia\Kev  fxe  irpb? 
vfid<;,  the  phrase  6  cbv  being  the  translation  of  *-)E^  HTl^ 
rPn&$  -2  Thus  the  Apocalyptist  used  the  expression  6  &>  v  directly 
from  the  LXX3  and  does  not  change  the  form  to  the  Genitive 
after  air 6.  Naturally  the  other  words  or  parts  of  the  phrase, 
namely,  6  rjv  Kal  6  ip^ofievos,  are  in  the  same  construction  as  6  wv 
"  da  es  kein  Particip  des  Praeteritums  von  elvai  giebt,  so  ist 
schwer  einzusehen,  wie  der  Verfasser  das  6  rjv  (der  war)  anders 
hatte  ausdriicken  sollen." i 

3.  The  Genitive  and  Accusative  joined  by  Kal,  instead  of  two 
Genitives,  after  a  Word  of  Fullness.  The  use  of  the  accusative  after 
the  idea  of  fullness  is  a  Hebrew  idiom.  Thus,  Rev.  17 :  46 
eyovcra  Troirjpiov  j^pvaovv  iv  irj  %et/H  avir)$  ye'fiov  /38e\v<y fid- 
rcov  Kal  1a  clkclQ a  pi  a  ir}<;  iropvelas  avirjs.  (Cp.  Jer.  51  :  7). 
la  aKadapia  instead  of  icov  ctKaOdpicov,  imitates  the  Hebrew.  A 
capital  illustration  of  this  usage  is  found  in  2  Sam.  23:7 

rvon  syi  brn  xbw  am  yr  btw 

Even  the  LXX  translation  of  this  passage  has  followed  the 
Hebrew  entirely,  namely,  Kal  ir\r)pe<;  aiSrjpov  Kal  gv\ov 
Sopaios.  Again,  the  LXX  of  Ezek.  39  :  20  has  the  accusative 
after  the  word  "  filled,"  thus  :  Kal  ep,ir\rjo-6r]aea6e{eirl  7-77?  irpairefrs 
fiov)  Xirirov  Kal  ava/3dirjv  Kal  ytyavra.     The  same  thing  is 

found  in  Ex.  1  :  7  DnN  JPlKPI  fe&Dllij  tne  Lxx  of  wnicn  bas 
ir\rjdvvev  he  r)  <yr)  aviovs.  The  accusative  is  the  usual  con- 
struction after  a  word  of  fullness  in  Hebrew.     "  Worter  wie  K7O 

gewohnlich  mit  dem  Accusative sich  verbinden."    (Ewald, 

"Die   Joh.    Schriften,"    S.    53.)     In   further   proof  of  this,  cp. 

1  "  Einleitung  in  die  Oflenbarung  des  Johannes,"  S.  462. 

2  Cp.  Isa.  41 : 4  KIH-JK  D'JinKTiKI  pBWl  Hirr  ^X. 

3  Cp.  Thayer's  Winer,  p.  68. 

4  Lucke,  "  Einleitung  in  die  Oflenbarung  des  Johannes,"  2  Aufl.,  S.  462. 


The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse.  13 

Gesenius'  "Hebrew  and  Eng.  Lex."  on  the  word  &OQ,  P-  473. 
Also  Liicke,  "  Einleitung  u.  s.  w."  S.  461.  Rev.  17:46,  then, 
(the  passage  in  question)  is  a  mixture  of  Greek  and  Hebrew 
constructions,  the  Genitive  fiSeXvy  fidrcov  after  ye'fiov  being  a 
Greek  construction  while  the  accusative  ra  aicdQapra  is 
Hebrew. 

4.  A  Double-  Gender.  The  word  Xrjvds  (wine-press)  is  given  a 
double  gender  in  Rev.  14  :  19  and  20.  Thus,  ical  efiaXev  et?  rrjv 
Xrjvbv  rod  dv/xov  rov  deov  rov  fieyav  [the  great  wine-press]  ical 
iirar^dv  rj  Xrjvb?  igcodev  tt}?  7ro'A.e«o5 ;  the  feminine  rr]V  Xrjvov 
and  then  the  masculine  rov  /xeyav  [Xtjvov].  This  construction 
is  found  in  Isa.  63:3,  from  which  this  verse  is  suggested ;  thus 

Here  fcOID  is  feminine  and  DDT"lfc$  is  masculine.  Thayer  re- 
marks that  this  is  a  variation  in  gender  which  can  hardly  be 
matched  in  Greek  though  not  rare  in  Hebrew.1 

5.  Disagreement  in  Gender.  Feminine  nouns  are  frequently 
followed  by  an  adjective  or  participle  in  the  masculine.     Rev.  4  : 1 

/cal  r)  (jjcovr)  rj  rrpwrn  rjv  ijtcovaa Xe'ycov  ;   <pa>vr)  is  followed 

by   the   masculine   participle   Xeywv.     Rev.    9:13  and  14  ical 

rjKovcra  (fxovrjv  fiiav  ifc  rwv  /cepdroov Xeyovra  ra>  etcrai  ayyeXw  ; 

Xeyovra  instead  of  Xeyovaav.     Rev.   11:4  at,  Svco  eXalai 

ivcoTTiov  rov  /cvpiovrrjs  7?}?  kcrr  fares',  eo~r<bre<i  instead  of  earcoaac 
follows  the  feminine  noun  iXalai.  Rev.  11:15  ical  eyevovro  (pcoval 
HeydXai  iv  rq>  ovpava),  Xeyovra ;  Xeyovres  following  $<ovaL  Rev. 
17  :  3  Ka\  elSov  yvvaiica  Kadvfie'vrjv  iirl  Qr\piov  kokklvov,  y e/xovr  a 
ovofiara   f3Xacr<pvfALa<;.      Rev.    17  :  3  ical  elhov   yvvaiica   /cadvp>evr]v 

yefxovra  ovofiara e%ovra  ice(j)aXa<;  eirra  icaX  icepara 

Se'/ca.  (Cp.  Dan.  7  :  7.)  Such  neglect  of  agreement  in  gender,  as 
above  described,  follows  the  Hebrew  structure.  On  this  Green 
remarks :  "  Masculines  are  often  used  in  Hebrew  when  females 
are  spoken  of  or  when  the  nouns  to  which  they  refer  are  femi- 
nine, from  a  neglect  to  note  the  gender  where  no  stress  is  laid 

1  "  Greek  Eng.   Lex.  of  1ST.  T.,"  p.  377;  Cp.,  also,  Green's  "  Heb.   Gram.", 
p.  359. 


14  The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse. 

upon  it."  ("  Heb.  Gram.,"  p.  359.)1  The  Apocalyptist  imi- 
tates this  Hebrew  construction  in  the  passages  just  given.  His 
defiance  of  grammar  in  those  instances  was  intentional.  He 
knew,  for  example,  that  the  feminine  adjective  should  agree  with 
the  feminine  noun,  as  a  number  of  texts  show.  This  is  seen 
in  Rev.  6  :  9  and  10,  where  there  is  a  feminine  noun  followed  by  a 
masculine  participle  and  also  a  feminine  noun  followed  by  a 
feminine  adjective,  namely,  (poavrj  peydXr).  The  same  expression 
occurs  also  in  Rev.  7:2;  14:7  and  18.  Cp.  16:1,  3,  17; 
18  :  2,  4,  &c.  The  disagreement  in  gender  is  clearly  due  to 
Hebrew  influence  and  Liicke  in  speaking  of  such  constructions 
says,  "  Diese  Anomalien  losen  sich  grosstentheils  durch  die 
Annahme  einer  constructio  ad  sensum,  wie  sie  auch  den  besten 
Schriftstellern  nicht  fremd  ist."2 

6.  Disagreement  in  Case.  (1)  A  Nominative  replaced  by  an 
Accusative.  Rev.  7:9  eo-Twres  evwirtov  tov  dpovov  zeal  evonnov 
tov    apviov,    TrepifiefiXr) fxevovs     aroXas     Xetwa?.      Again     Rev. 

11:3  Kal  TrpcxpwTevcrovcriv  {they)   rjfiepas   %tXta<? 7re/u/3e/3- 

X^/ieVou?.      Rev.   10  :  8  /cat  97  (pcovij \a\ovcr av  per'    ip>ov 

Kal  Xeyovcrav. 

(2)  An  Accusative  replaced  by  a  Nominaiive.  Rev.  5  .  6  /eat 
elSov apviov ey^wv  icepara  eTrra Rev.  14: 

1  Neglect  of  gender  is  very  frequent  (a)  in  pronouns  referring  to  females.  Thus 
Kuth  1  :  8  nnjN  DTIOn-D?  OJVBW  1IMO  nDfl  D:iD,y  nirr  rWJP.  The  word  DDK}! 
(masc.)  is  used  although  the  reference  is  to  Kuth  and  Orpah  ;  also  DJVtSPJ?  (masc), 
reference  still  being  to  Ruth  and  Orpah.  This  is  illustrated  again  in  Exodus  1  :  21. 
DTU  UTlh  PJH  D'H^arrnK  mS-DH  WT-O  TP1,  the  word  mb-on  being  feminine 
and  DnS  masculine.  Cp.,  also,  Ex.  2:17;  Num.  36:6;  Jud.  11:34;  19:24; 
1  Sam.  6:7;  2  Sam  6  :  22  ;  Jud.  21  :  12. 

(b)  Neglect  of  gender  is  most  frequent  in  pronouns  (masc.)  referring  to  feminine 

nouns,  as  Ex.  11:6  1J1031 1HM  "WN nSnj  npjW  nJVffl.    Here  the  word 

np^V  is  feminine  and  )T\DD  (referring  to  np#¥)  is  masculine.  Levit.  27  :  9 
tiHp-rrrv  nin,l7  1JDD  |JV  "l»K  Sd nam  "MO.  Here  the  word  HOTO  is  femi- 
nine and  USD  is  masculine.* 

2  "  Einleitung  in  die  Offenbarung  des  Johannes,"  S.  463. 

*  Cp.  for  similar  disagreement  in  gender,  the  Hebrew  of  Ex.  22:25;  Lev.  6:8;  27:9; 
Num.  3:27,  33;  Deut.  27:5;  1  Sam.  10:18:  Isa. 34: 17,  &c,  and  for  further  lack  of  agreement 
in  adjectives  and  participles,  cp.  1  Kings  22 :  13 ;  Ps.  119 :  137  and  2  Chron.  3 :  11.  Cp.  Green's 
"  Heb.  Gram.,"  pp.  357-359. 


The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse.  15 

6  and  7  a  Kal  elhov   aWov  dyyeXov \eycov Rev. 

19  :  14  Kal  rd  crrpaTev/xara rjKoXovOei,  avra) ivSe- 

Bvpevoi  fivaatvov  \evicbv  icaOapov.  Cp.,  also,  Rev.  13:  1;  14:14; 
17:3  and  20:4.  This  neglect  of  agreement  in  case  is  common 
enough  in  Hebrew.  Especially  when  clauses  intervened,  accurate 
constructions  were  thus  neglected.1 

7.  Anomalous  Use  of  Apposition.  The  well-known  rule  that 
an  appositive  agrees  with  its  noun  in  case,  is  broken  many  times 
by  the  language  of  the  Apocalypse. 

(1)  Nominative  in  Apposition  with  Genitive.  Rev.  1 : 5  «al  airb 
'\rjcrov  xpiarov,  6  /jbciprv;  6  ttlctto^.  The  phrase  6  pudprvs  6  tticttos 
is  directly  quoted  from  the  LXX  of  Ps.  89  :37.  (Cp.  Prov.  14:5). 
Ebrard  says  of  this,  "  das  scheint  mir  beabsichtigt,  scheint  mir 
Manier  zu  sein,"2  and  Liicke  (speaking  of  this  and  similar  anom- 
alies) says,  "  sie  scheinen  ihren  Grund in  dem  rhetorischen 

charakter  der  Apokalypse  zu  haben."3 

This  occurs  again  in  Rev.  3:12  to  ovopua  rr}<;  iroXeca  rov 
6eov  fiov,  tt)?  Kaivrjs  'lepovcraXtfp,  rj  Karafiaivovcra  €K  tov  ovpavov ; 
i)  Kara/3aivov(ra,  instead  of  a  Genitive,  in  apposition  with  t^9 
Katvrjs  'lepovaaXrjfjL.  Another  instance  of  this  is  found  in  Rev. 
14  :12  w8e  rj  viropovrj  ra)v  dyioov  icrTiv,  ol  rrjpovvres  ras  ivroXas,  &c, 
oi  tv povvra  where  we  should  expect  rS>v  rypovvTcov  in  ap- 
position with  tS)v  dyicov. 

(2)  Nominative  in  Apposition  with  Dative.  Rev.  9  :  14  Xeyovra 
to)  e/cro)   a<yye\a>,  6  e^wv  rrjv  adXiriyya. 

(3)  Nominative  in  Apposition  with  Accusative.  Rev.  2:20 
dWd  e%&)  Kara  crov  ort  cupel?  rrjv  yvvaiKa  'Ie^a/SeX,  rf  \e<y  ovcra 
eavrrjv  7rpo(f>rjrcv.  Rev.  20  :2  Kal  i/cpaTwcrev  rbv  8 pciKovra,  6  6 (pis 
6  ap%alo<;. 

(4)  Nominative  in  Apposition  with  Vocative.  Rev.  16:7  Ncu, 
/cvpie,  6  0eo<?,  6  TravTOfcpdroop.     (Cp.  Rev.  16:5).     Rev.  11:7.     Eu- 

1  Cp.    Green's   '-Hebrew    Gram.."    p.    357.     Cp.,    also,    Ewald,    "Die    Joh. 
Schriften,"  Bd.  II.,  S.  53. 

2  "  Evangelium  Johannis,"  S.  165. 

3  '•  Einleitung  in  die  Offenbarung  des  Johannes,"  Bd.  II,  2  Aufl.,  S.  459.    Cp. 
Toy's  "Quotation  in  the  N.  T.,"  p.  253. 


16  The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse. 

^apiCTTovfxiv  croi,  tcvpie,  6  #eo<?,  6  iravTOKpa/rwp.  Rev.  15:3  Kvpie,  6 
0eo'<?,  6  TravTo/cpaTajp,  as  in  the  LXX  of  Zech,  3  :8  aicove  S77,  'I^crou? 
6  lepov?  6  /Lteya?,  cry  /cat,  &c.  In  the  above  examples,  we  find  the 
Nominative  in  apposition  with  every  single  oblique  case.  In  each 
of  these  examples  (except  Nominative  in  apposition  with  Vocative), 
the  connection  between  the  preceding  substantive  and  the  adjec- 
tive clause  describing  it,  is  a  loose  one.  This  is  especially  true 
of  the  first  two  examples  under  (1)  and  the  second,  under  (3). 
Of  these  constructions  Ewald  writes,  "Cujus  dictionis  causa  licet 
in  hebraismo  casus  non  distinguente  quaerenda  sit."1  In  regard 
to  the  examples  under  (4),  we  may  say  that  the  name  Jehovah 
appears  in  the  Nominative  as  in  apposition  to  the  Vocative  Kvpie 
perhaps  because  it  is  a  direct  translation  of  a  Hebrew  proper 
name,  the  author  having  in  mind  the  appositive  construction  of 
the  Hebrew,  where  a  more  extended  use  is  made  of  it  than  in 
occidental  languages  ;2  or,  again,  this  construction  may  have  been 
used  because  the  Greek  article  has  no  form  for  the  Vocative  case. 
This  is  Ewald's  view  who  says  "  denn  da  die  Hebraer  keine 
Interjection  fur  den  Vokativ  haben,  so  steht  das  Nomen  in 
Anredeton  ganz  ungeandert ;  " 3  or,  further,  the  writer  in  these 
two  instances  may  have  had  in  mind  the  Aramaic  construction 
which  has  no  case  endings.4 

8.    The  Absolute  Use  of  the  Participle  Xeymv.     Rev.  11:1  Kal 

iSodrj  p,ot  /cdXa/Aos \e<ya>v,  eyeipe  Kal  fierpr/aov  k.  t.  A,.      Rev. 

19:6  Kal  rjKOVaa  eo9  (pcovrjv /cat  co?  (f)a>vr]V  ftpovrwv   la^vpojv 

Xeyovres  k.t.X.  This  is  LXX  usage,  corresponding  to  ")££05 
as  the  following  examples  show:  Gen.  15  :  1  pera  8e  ra  prjixara 
ravra  i<yevq6r)  prj/jia  Kvpiov  7T/30?  'Afipaafi  ev  opafiarc  \eya>v,  &C. 
Gen.  22:20  Kal  avr)<yye\r)  ra>  'Afipaap,  \e<yovT€<;  k.t.X.  Gen. 
38  :  13  Kal  aTrrjyyeXr)  Qdjxap Xeyovres  k.  t.  X.     Gen.  40:16 


"  Commentarius  in  Apocalypsin,"  p.  44. 

Cp.  Green,  "  Heb.  Gram.,"  p.  281. 

"  Gram.  d.  heb.  Sprache,"  S.  568.     Cp.  Zech.  3  :  8. 

Cp.  Salmon,  "  Introd,  to  N.  T.,"  p.  240. 

Cp.  Thayer's  Winer,  p.  536. 


The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse.  17 

Kal  hiefiorjOri  rj  (fxovrj  et?  rbv  oIkov  Qapaoo  Xeyovre<i  k.  t.  X.  Gen. 
48:  2  a7r7)<yye\T)  Se  ru>  'Ia/cw/3  Xe<yovT€<;  k.  t.  X.  Josh.  10:  17 
Kal  airrjyyeXri  t&)  'Itjctov  XeyovTes  k.  r.  X.  Judges  16:2  Kal 
avrjyyeXr]  rot?  Ta^aiois  Xe<y  ovres  k.  t.  X.  1  Sam.  15:12  Kal 
air-qyyeXT]  t<£  ILaovX  Xeyovres  k.  t.  X. 

9.  In  Hebrew,  very  often  the  emphasized  word  stands  at  the 
beginning  of  a  sentence  without  any  grammatical  connection 
with  any  word  in  that  sentence.  The  accustomed  order  is  re- 
stored by  a  demonstrative  pronoun  placed  later  in  the  sen- 
tence.    Examples  of  this  are  numerous,  as  in 

Gen.  47:21  ma  twa  Dyrrrm 

Jer.  25:31  niiT~D*0  T)tfb  D^nJ  D'Win. 
Gen.  2:17  )^D  bltoT)  *6  JTVI  21D  Pl^lH  WD1- 
1  Sam.  25:29  ^pn  "p  -Jim  H^jT  "yrPN  EfDm«l- 
The  Apocalypse  reproduces  this  peculiarity  of  structure :  Eev. 
2:26  Kal  6  viKtav  Kal  6  rrjpcov  dyjpi  reXov?  ra  ep<ya  fxov,  Saxra) 
avrai  k.  r.  X.  Rev.  3:12  6  vlkwv  iroLrjaco  avrbv  arvXov  k.  t.  X. 
Rev.  3:21  6  vlkwv  Sqxto)  avra>  KaQLaai  k.  t.  X.Rev.  6:8  Kal  6 
Kadrjfievo^   eirdvco  (avrov)  ovofia  avru>  [6]  ddvaros. 

10.  Sentences  Joined  by  KaL  Rev.  11:3  Kal  Sdxrco  rot?  Sva-lv 
fidprvaiv  fxov  Kal  irpo^revcrova-iv.  (Cp.  Rev.  20:4;  9:4,  5.) 
Rev.  3  :9  has  the  same  kind  of  a  sentence,  but  with  Xva1  and  a 
xal  following.  Thus,  ISov  7tol^(tco  avrov<;  Xva  rj^ovaiv  Kal  irpoaKv- 
vr\<rov<nv  €V(07tlov  twv  iroZSiv  crov.  This  follows  the  Hebrew  of 
Isaiah  44:14  which  is  l^BrV   T^N  linnCT1  T^N"1  TQJP  2 

11.  Kal  (Hebrew  ))  in  the  Apodosis.s  It  is  similar  to  the 
German  "  so."  The  following  examples  may  be  given :  Rev. 
10:7   aXX'   iv  Tat?   rjp,epai<i   rij<i   <fx0vf}s   rod  e/386fjLov  ayyeXov,  orav 

1  A  similar  example  of  the  use  of  Xva  is  found  in  Kev.  13  :  12  Kal  touit^v  yfy 
Kal  robs  iv  airy   KaroiKovvras  tva  ir  pocr  KW"f)<T  ov<x  iv  rb    Orjplov   rb  irpurrov.     Also, 

Kev.    13  :  16   Kal  iroitT  ir&vras,   roi/s  p.iKpoiis  Kal  rods  pxy&Xovs tva   dttxrei  avroit 

Xdpaynat.     (Cp.  Eev.  22  :  14.)  * 

2  Cp.  Isa.  49  :  23  and  60  :  14 ;  Toy,  "  Quotations  in  the  N.  T.",  p.  257. 

3  Cp.  Thayer's  "Greek  Eng.  Lex.",  p.  316a  f. 
*  Cp.  Ewald,  •'  Die  Jon.  Schriften,"  Bd.  II,  S.  53. 


18  The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse. 

fxeWr]  aaXTTL^eLV,  teal  erekeaOrj  to  fxvaTijpiov  rov  Oeov.     Rev.  14 : 

9  and  10  el  Tt?  irpoaKvvel  to  Or^pCov icai  civtos  Trierai  eic  tov 

olvov  k.  t.  X.     Rev.  3  :20  lav  ti?  atcovarj  r?}9  4>(ovr]<i  p,ov ical 

elaeXevao/xat  7rpo?  avTov This  use  of  icai  in  the  apodosis 

is  exactly  similar  to  )  in  such  Hebrew  passages  as  Gen.  3:5, 

Ps.  78:34  imBTTTI  Dann"DK  Judges  4:8  p-Q  iT^N  nOWl 

12.  The  Demonstrative  auTos  Redundantly  Used  in  Relative 
Sentences.  The  Hebrew  relative  pronoun,  which  always  stands  at 
the  beginning  of  its  clause,  has  only  the  one  simple  form-'-^^- 
which  admits  of  no  inflection  to  represent  case.  Consequently, 
when  this  relative  "  is  governed  by  a  verb,  noun  or  preposition, 
this  is  shown  by  appending  an  appropriate  pronominal  suffix  to 
the  governing  word",1  as  for  example,  IflW  *)  \tf  N  or  tym\]  *]&# 
This  use  in  Hebrew  may  be  seen  in  the  following  examples: 

Lsa.4i:8*i»K  Dpjr  ,,"ny  b^w  r\nw  -nmrn  nc^^ 
■»anw  nrmx  jni  7mm  a*  41 : 9  -pnpinn  new.  a 

splendid  illustration  is  found  in  Amos  9:12  ifttCWlpJ  "1E?N 
OTVby  Tne  LXX  follows  the  Hebrew  exactly  here,  namely,  icaX 
TvdvTa  to,  WvT)  i(f>  oil?  eirucdicXiyrai  to  ovofxd  /xov  iir*  avTovs.2 
This  Hebraism  very  often  occurs 3  in  the  LXX.4 

Examples  of  this  redundant  use  of  aurds  in  relative  sen- 
tences are  found  in  the  following  Apocalyptic  passages:  Rev. 
3:8  tjv  ovBeU  Svvarai  Kkelaai  avT-r)V.  Rev.  7:2  oU  i&odr)  civtois 
ahucrfaaL  Tr)v  <yr)V  k.  t.  \.     Rev.    7:9   ov  ctpiO \xr\o~ai  avTov  ovSels 


1  Green,  "  Heb.  Gram.",  p.  367;  Cp.  p.  106. 

2  This  LXX  passage  is  directly  quoted  in  Acts  15  :  17,  thus  proving  that  the 
writer  of  Acts  employed  Hebraisms  when  quoting  from  the  LXX. 

3  Cp.  Thayer's  "  Grk.  Eng.  Lex.",  p.  86  (5)  ;  Bousset,  "  Offenbarung  Johan- 
nis,"  S.  184.  Cp.  Ewald,  «'gr.  hebr.",  ss.  647-648;  Green,  "Hebrew  Gram.", 
p.  368. 

*Cp.,  for  example,  Ex.  3:5;  Eccl.  10:17;  Deut.  4:7,  8,  19,  32;  Deut 
14:9;  19:17;  Josh.  2:  10. 


The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse.  19 

iSvvaro.  Rev.  13:8  ov  ov  'ye<yparmat  to  ovo/xa  avTov  iv  t<o 
ftifiXttp.  Rev.  13:12  ov  iOepairevdv  r/  77X77777  tov  davdrov  avrov. 
Rev.  20:8  ft)  1/  6  apidp,bs  ai)T<av  ft)9  77  a/JLftos  T77?  daXdaa-qs.  Cp. 
Rev.  17:9. 

13.  Pleonastic  4  k el.  Where  a  preceding  adverb  (or  relative 
pronoun)  has  "  already  attracted  the  verb,  e'/cet  is  added  to  this 
verb  pleonastically."1  Examples  of  this  in  Hebrew  may  be  found 

in  Dent.  4:5  nn»^  HOP  D"»«3  QH^  *IPN,  the  LXX 
translation  of  which  is  et?  ?)p  vftefc  et?  iropeveade  i/cel  Kk-qpovo- 
fielvavrrjv.  Deut.  4:14  nH^*!^  HEE?  D^HDI?  OfM  *)EW,  the 
LXX  of  which  has   et?  771/  vfjuels    elairopeveaQe    e/cet    K\r)povop,elv 

avrjv.  Deut. 4:26 nn^  HOP  JTTTTnK  D^D  DHN  IV X 

and  the  LXX  is  els  ^  t>/iei?  hiaftaivere  tov  'lopSdvrjv  eKel  /cXrjp- 
ovofJL7)crai  avrrjv. 

Examples  of  this  Hebraism  in  the  Apocalypse  are :  Rev. 
12:6  Kal  77  yvvrj  ecf)vyev  ek  ttjv  eprjfxov,  ottov  e^ei  e  k  el  tottov 
r}TOifiao~fA€Vov  airb  tov  deov.  Rev.  12  :14  els  tov  tottov  avTrj<i,  ottov 
TpecpeTai  i/cel  k.  t.  X.      (Cp.  Rev.  17:9.) 

14.  The  Present  Tense  Passes  into  the  Future.  The  present 
and  future  tenses  are  found  coordinately  in  the  same  clause  or 
sentence  where,  according  to  the  usage  of  the  language,  we  should 
expect  the  future  of  both  verbs.  Rev.  1:7  IBov  epx€Tai  pueTa 
TOiv  vecpeXcov,  Kal  o-fyeTai  avTov  ttcls  b(p6aXp,6<$.  Ewald  remarks 
"oratio  continuata  in  futurum  tempus  abit,  ut  ISov  ep%eTai  Kal 
8-^reTai prorsus  hebraeum  J"|&01  H/H  rUH-"  2  Rev-  2:5  el  8e  ^77, 
1/3%0/Ltai  croi,  Kal  Kcvrjaa>  T7)v\vyyiav  aov  ck  tov  tottov  avTr)s. 
Rev.   2:16    el  Se    /J.77,  epxofiai  o~oi    ra^v,    koI    TroXefi^a-o)   fieT* 

avT<av  k.  t.  X.     Rev.  2:22  ISov  /3aX\©  avTrjv  els  kXivtjv 

Kal  Ta  TeKva  avTrj<i  airoKTevS)  iv  6avaT(p.  Cp.  Rev.  3:9;  17:13- 
14.  Examples  of  this  breach  of  grammar  in  LXX  passages  are : 
Zech.  2:9  Sloti  ISov  iyco  iir Kpe'peo  ttjv  %elpd  fxov  eir    avTovs,  Kal 

1  Thayer,  "Greek  Eng.  Lex.",  p.  194;  Bousset,  "  Offenbarung  Johannis," 
S.  184. 

2  "  Commentarius  in  Apocalypsin,"  p.  39. 


20  The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse. 

eaovrai  aKvXa  rots  SovXevovaiv  avroh.  Zech.  2:10  Slotl  ISov 
iyco  e  p%o  pa  i  KaX  KaraaKrjvcaaw  iv  \ieaw  crov. 

15.  Neuter  Plural  Subject  with  Plural  Verb.  In  the  Apoca- 
lypse, neuter  plural  nouns  are  very  frequently  followed  by  plural 
verbs.1     Rev.  4:5  a  eiaiv  ra  errra  rrvevpbara  rov  6eov.     Rev.  4:8 

KaX    ra    re  a-  ere  pa£a>a yefxovo-  lv    6(pdaX/Mcov.     Rev.    4:9 

/cal  orav  hdxxov <tiv  ra  %cpa  k.  r.  X.  Rev.  5:14  teal  ra  reaaepa 
£q>a  eXeyov  'Apr/v.   Rev.  9  : 20  a  ovre  ^Xeiretv  Svva  vrai  K.r.X. 

Rev.    11:13    KaX  arzeKravdrjaav ovofiara  k.    t.    X.       Rev. 

18:23  iirXavrjOrj  <j av  rrdvra  ra  eOvrj.  Rev.  16:20  ical  opr/ 
oi/%  evpedr/o-av.  Rev.  20:12  KaX  fiifiXta  rjvo  t^dr/  o~av 
(quoted  from  Dan.  7:10  (Hebrew)).  Cp.  Rev.  3:  2,  4;  11 :  2 ; 
16:14;  17:12;  17:15;  21:4,  &c.  The  neuter  pleural  with 
plural  verb  is  also  LXX  usage,  as  may  be  seen  in  Zech.  2  :11  KaX 
Kara<f>ev%ovraL  e0  vr/  rroXXa  iirX  rov  Kvptov  iv  ry  r)ixepa 
eiceivr}.  Zech.  10  :7 /cat  ra  reKva  avrcov  o^ovrai  KaX  eixppav- 
Qr)<j ovrai.  Ezek.  39:7  KaX  yvmaovrai  ra  edvq  on  eya> 
elfu  Kvpios.  Nahum  3:10  KaX  to  vrfiria  avrrj?  i8a<f>iovo~iv. 
Cp.,  also,  LXX  passages  quoted  by  Justin  Martyr  in  "Il/ao? 
Tpv<f>Q)va  'lovBaiov  AtciX.0709."  (Otto's  Edition,  Vol.  I, 
pp.  408,  426,  434,  444,  480,  &c.)  But  what  is  of  special  interest 
here,  is  the  fact  that  this  anomaly  often  occurs  in  passages  quoted 
directly  from  the  LXX.  This  is  true  of  the  following:  Rev. 
15:4  otl  rrdvra  ra,  eOvrj  egovaiv  KaX  it poa Kvvr)o~  ova- iv  ivcoiriov 
aov.  KaX  ra  8iKaid>fiard  arov  i(pavepa)07]o-av — a  direct  quo- 
tation from  the  LXX  of  Ps.  86:9  rdvra  r  a  edvrj  (pa a  erroCrjo-as) 
7Jjf  over  iv  KaX  rrpocrKwrjcrovo'LV  evtomov  o~ov.  (Cp.  Isa.  66:23.) 
Rev.  18:3  rr  err  ran Kav  (or  ireiraKav)  rrdvra  ra  e6vq.  This  is 
LXX  of  Jer.  51:7  (28:7)  arro  rov  ocvov  avrrj?  err  Co  a  av  edvrj 
Bia  rovro  icraXevdrjcrav.  Rev.  21:24  KaX  rrepirrarrjaooa-iv  ra 
edvrj  81a  rov  </>o>to?  avrr}s.  This  is  from  the  LXX  of  Isa.  60:3 
KaX  7r  0  pevcr  ovrai  /3aaiXel<;  rq>  ^xori  gov,  KaX  e  d  vrj  ry  Xa  jx- 
rrporrjrC  gov.     Rev.  11 :18  KaX   ra  edvrj  wpy CaOrja av.     The 

1  The  neuter  plural  is  often  found,  however,  with  singular  verbs,  as  in  Rev. 
Rev.  2  :  27  ;  8:3;  13  :  14  ;  14  :  13  ;  16  :  14  ;  18  :  14  ;  19  :  14  ;  20  :  3,  5,  7, 12  ;  21 :  12. 


The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse.  21 

LXX  of  Ps.  46  (45) :  6  is  erapaxdr^crav  eOvr],  e/cXivav 
fiao-iXeiat.  Cp.  Ps.  (LXX)  2:1,  i.  e.,  tC  icppvai;  av  e6vr].  Rev. 
19  :21  zeal  Trdvra  opvea  e^oprdd-qcrav  i/c  rSiv  aapKwv  avrSiv.  This  is 
from  the  LXX  of  Ezek.  39  :  17-21,  i.  e.,  elirov  travil  opvew  irereLvu) 

Kal   7T/30?   Trdvra   t«   Qr\pid  rod  irehiov    d^Orire   /cal    epyeade 

(frdyecrde nrieade ifiTrXijcrd^aeade Such  pas- 
sages show  conclusively  the  influence  of  the  LXX  upon  the  writer. 
This  completes  our  examination  of  the  Solecisms  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse,1 which,  as  we  have  shown,  are  clearly  clue  to  the  influence 
which  the  prophetic  writings  of  the  Old  Testament,  either  in  their 
Hebrew  form  or  in  that  of  their  translation  into  Greek — the 
Septuagint — exerted  upon  the  Author. 

lSee  Corollaries  on  next  page. 


22  The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse. 


COROLLARIES. 

We  present  the  following  corollaries  which  grow  out  of  the 
preceding  discussions : 

1.  Since  the  solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse  are  to  he  accounted 
for  in  the  manner  just  described,  they  form  no  argument  in  favor 
of  the  "  Early  Date  "  J  for  the  composition  of  the  Apocalypse  as 
maintained  by  Westcott,2  Lightfoot3  and  Salmon.4 

2.  The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse  do  not  invalidate  the 
testimony  of  Irenaeus 5  as  to  the  composition 6  of  the  Apocalypse. 

3.  Those  writers7  who  hold  that  John's  Gospel  and  the 
Apocalypse  were  written  by  the  same  author,  need  not  infer  that 
an  interval  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  years  intervened  between  the  two 
compositions. 

4.  Viewing  the  evidence  as  a  whole,  the  impression  is  strong 
that  the  author  of  the  Apocalypse  made  use  of  the  LXX  and 
Hebrew  idiom  in  a  conscious  effort  to  reproduce  the  manner  and 
spirit  of  the  ancient  Prophets ;  it  was  not  through  ignorance  of 
correct  Greek  usage. 

Note. — The  difference  between  the  language  of  John's  Gospel 
and  the  Apocalypse,  due  mainly  to  the  solecisms  of  the  latter,  has 

1  About  the  year  68  A.  D. 

2  "The  Gospel  According  to  St.  John,"  p.  lxxxvi  of  ihe  Introduction. 
s  "St.  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Galatians,"  Sixth  Edition,  p.  363. 

4  "A  Historical  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  the  Books  of  the  New  Testament," 
Edition  1889,  pp.  241-242. 

5  Cp.  his  treatise  entitled  u'E\tyxov  Kai  Awrp&nji  ttjs  ifreudurffiov  yvuaeus,'"  (the 
more  familiar  title  of  which  is,  "Contra  Haereses  "),  where  he  says,  "El  yap  e5e« 
dvafpavbbv  rf  vvv  Kaipf  K-qpiirrecrOai  Toivopta  avrov,  8i  CKelvov  av  tpptdT]  tou  ko.1  ttjv  Atto- 
k&Xv^iv  eupandros.  Oi/di  yap  irpb  iroWov  XP^V0V  eu>pa$7],  dWa  (Tx^Sbf  iirl  ttjs  i)p.fT^pas 
7eveas,  irpbs  t$  rfKei  rrjs  Aapunavov  apxyi"     Lib.  V.  30,  3. 

6  The  Irenaean  date  (about  96  A.  D  )  is  usually  spoken  of  as  the  "  Late  Date" 
for  the  composition  of  the  Apocalypse. 

7  Referred  to  in  corollary  1. 


* 


The  Solecisms  of  the  Apocalypse.  23 

led  to  very  different  opinions  as  to  the  Authorship  l  of  the  two 
writings.  Thus  besides  Dionysius2  of  the  third  century  A.  D., 
the  following  writers,  Schleiermacher,  Credner,  De  Wette, 
Neander  (David  Mendel),  Liicke,  Bleek,  Ewald  and  Diisterdieck, 
hold  that  the  Apostle  John  wrote  the  Gospel,  but  not  the  Apoc- 
alypse ;  other  writers,  such  as  Kostlin,  Zeller,  Schwegler,  Baur, 
Davidson  and  Hilgenfeld,  maintain  that  the  Apostle  wrote  the 
Apocalypse  but  not  the  Gospel.3 

1  The  Authorship  of  the  Apocalypse  is  discussed  at  length  hy  Bousset  in  "  Die 
Offenbarung  Johannis,"  SS.  33-51  and  by  Milligan  in  his  "Discussions  on  the 
Apocalypse,"  pp.  148-179. 

2  Eusebius,  "  Eccl.  Hist.",  Lib.  VII.  25. 

3  Still  other  writers,  for  a  different  reason,  or  reasons,  such  as  Keim,  Volkmar, 
Scholten,  Lipsius,  Harnack,  Pfleiderer,  Weizsacker  and  Bousset,  regard  the  Apostle 
John  as  the  author  of  neither  the  Gospel  nor  the  Apocalypse.* 

*  Cp.,  for  example,  Bousset,  in  "  Die  Offenbarung  Johannis,"  SS.  33-51. 


DATE  DUE 

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